Electromagnetic valve



March 23,1926. f A

E. T.'VINCENT ELECTROMAGNET I C VALVE Filed Dec. 1o 192s I' V-"l" Elllllllir In be@ i Patented Mar. Z3, 1925.

EUGENE T. VINCENT, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Ntraigan PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRGMAGNETIC VALVE.

Application led December 10, 1923. Serial No. 679,787.

To all w71 om 'it may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE T. VINCENT,

a citizen of the United States, and a yresi-` dent ofpBoston, in the county of Suffolk and State of lilassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electromagnetic Valves, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention relates to valves,

and more particularly to an electromagnetic valve of the solenoid type.

In my copending application, Serial No. 71,694, filed J une 20, 1922, I have described and claimed the novell features of construction of an electromagnetic valve of the solenoid type wherein the valve to be operated is directly connected to the solenoid plunger, the opening and closing 'of the valve being dependent for its movement on the reciprocatory action of the plunger of the solenoid in its to and fro movement. In such lcopending application, the circuitl connections for the solenoid are arranged -to make it possible to reverse the direction of liow of current through the solenoid in order to obtain the reciprocatory movement. While such valve is operable for the purpose for which lit was designed, yet it was obf jectionable in certain features, one of which features, for example, is the fact that the valve stem is directly connected With the plunger located adjacent to the solenoid or to the switch contacts of the controllingvcircuit of such solenoid. It' may happen, :and has, under certain circumstances, happened that gas Will leak out of the valve and into such a position with relation to the switch contacts that, when' the circuit is closed through 'such contacts, an arc is formed which has ignited the gas and only through fortunate chain of circumstances was a ldis,- astrons explosion prevented.v Toprevent the possibility of such accident happening and to generally improve apparatus of this ment of the valve. By this means I amen.-

abled ,te diaree@ with .gmplicatel @realta that the full power stroke of the solenoid is obtained to rotate the valve-in the desired direction. By having the solenoid core or plunger operable in one direction under the infiuence of the magnetic field produced in a solenoid coil, I ain able to dispense with all springs heretofore considered necessary to thron7 such plunger beyond its neutral position and utilize the energized plunger to move into operable position the plunger of the non-operated solenoid.

.In the accompanying drawings illustrat ing the preferred embodiment of my in vention, f

Fig. l is a front elevation;

Fig. 2- is a vertical sectional side elevation on the line 2 2y of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line Vlower enda member 11 provided with a pair of spaced perforations 12 parallel to each ,other and in which perforations is fitted a Vframework 13 provided on its ytop With a guide member 14 and having secured to its bottom face a solenoid comprised of a metallic externally threaded head 15 and With a head 16. These heads are spaced apart from=each other by the usual hollow core 17 and on thecore between the heads is Wound the energizing coil 18. lScrewed onto the externally threaded head 15 is a metallic shield 19. Formed intergral with the standard 1,0 near its upper endend on the outer face thereof is a boss 20 in Which is secured by nut 21 a bearing stud `or shaft 22 and on such shaft 22 is rotatably mounted a gear 23, preferably of insulating material. Also formed on the standard 10 and between tlie'boss 20 Aand the-member 11.is a boss 24 `andin which is-rotatably mounted va shaft Keyed to the outerend of the shaft 25 is a vpinion 26 Ywhich meshes ivith, andis driven jby,the-gear 23. Screwed into the 4rearY face of the standard l0 and in alinement with the shaft 25 istliev body. 27 of a valve., the rotatable stem 28 of .which is threaded to receive the threaded rear end of the shaft 25.. ,The vstein 28 yieldingly heldin-its 'seat lilith@ body fby Screw .2..9

and spring 30. The function of the valve is to allow a flow of gas or other fluid from a source of supply through the stem 28, the stem being arranged so that, by rotation thereof` the flow of liquid through the body 27 will be shut Off or allowed to flow through the body. n

Slidably mounted in the members 14 is a shaft or rod 31 provided at its lower end with a member 32 which is connected by coupling member 83 to the top end of the plunger 3;. Secured to the top end of each of the slidable shafts 31 is a rack 35, each of which racks meshes with the gear 23, there being one rack on each side of the gear 22:1, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and the racks 35 and gear 2S are so arranged that the gear 23 will be rotated by such racks.

The standard 10 has formed thereon bosses :lo (but one of which is shown in the drawings) and secured to these bosses by screws :$7 is a plate 38 of insulating material. This plate 38 is cut away, as indicated at 39, to allow spacing for the pinion 26. Secured to the plate 38 are plates 40 and 41 respec# tively, the plate 40 being vconnected by conductor 42 to the energizing coil 18 of the right hand solenoid in Fig. 1, the other end of such energizing winding being connected by conductor 43 to a battery'or other source of power 44. The conducting plate 41 is connected by conductor 45 to one end of the energizing coil 18 of the left hand solenoid, the other end of this solenoid being connected by conductor 46 with the source of power 47. Secured to the racks 35 near the lower end thereof are conducting plates or wipers 48 and 49 respectively, the conducting plate 48 being adapted to engage with the conducting plate 40 in the reciprocatory movement of the rack 35 of the right hand solenoid while the plate 49 is adapted to engage with the conducting plate 41'in the reciprocatory movement of the rack 35 associated with the left hand solenoid. Secured Ato the upper end of the right hand rack bar 35 is a member 50 of conducting material, while secured to the upper end of the left hand rack bar 35 is a member 51 lof conducting material. As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the members 50`and 51 are spaced apart from each other and lie in the Vpat-h ot' movement of a conducting member 52 which is attached to the moving element 53 of a thermostat, which moving element is connected by conductor 54 to ground. The conducting member 52 has a movement in either direction toward and from the inembers 5() and 51, as indicated by the arrows in Fie. 1, and it will beassumed that the arrow to the left-'center of Fig. 1 indicates a movement ofthe conducting member 52 due to an increase in tem aerature of the room orplace where the t ern'iostat v53) is located. While a movement @t the arrow to the right center indicates a decrease in temperature of the room in which is located the thermostat.

The operation of my improved device is as follows, it being assumed that the device is constructed as above described and that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the conducting plate 40 in engagement with the conducting plate 41 on the member $38 and that the temperature of the room or space in which the thermostat 53 is located is such that the conducting element 52 lies between the conducting elements 50 and 51. Under these conditions also, it will be assumed that the valve 2T, 28 will be open and that iiuid is flowing through suoli valve. It will be assumed, further, that the device is attached to an automatic heating apparatus, that the fluid used is gas for heating such apparatus and that the thermostat indicates the temperature above and below which it is not desirable to go. 1f, now, because of the heat generated by the burning of fluid that has passed through the valve 27, 28, the temperature of the room or space in which is located the thermostat 53 rises to such an extent as to cause a movement of the conducting member 52 to the left, it will eventually come into contact with the conducting mem,ber 5l. Under these circumstances, a circuit may be traced from ground, through the battery 47, conductor 46, wind-- ing coil 18, conductor 45, conducting plate 41, switch or wiper plate 49, the left hand rack bar 35, conducting member 51, conducting member 52, thermostat 53, conductor 54, to ground. Under these circumstances, the left hand solenoid 18 will be energized, causing a pull on the plunger 34 thereof and causing a downward movement of the lefthand rack bar 35 with a consequent rotation of the gear 23 in a counterclockwise direction and a consequent rotation of thel pinion 26 in a clockwise direction. Rotative movement of the pinion 2G causes a corresponding rotative movement of the rod 25 and valve stem` 28 and by properly proportioning the gear 23 and pinion 26, the valve stem 28 will be given a sufficient angular' movement to positively stop the flow of fluid through the body 27. The length of the conducting plate 41 is so'arranged with respect to the width of the wiper/49 and the length of stroke of the plunger 34 that the wiper 49 will move off the plate 41 simultaneously with the time the plunger 34 reaches the downward limit of' its stroke. The length of the plunger 34 is made equal to the length of solenoid 18 andthe connection between the shaft 3l and vrack bar 35 prevents the plunger 34 from 4moving' through the solenoid. The plunger,

therefore, will move only to a central or neutral posaon with respect to the selenod and current will be cut off from the solenoid as soon as the plunger reaches such neutral position. There is always, therefore, a full stroke of the plunger due to the energization of the solenoid. As, under the conditions assumed, there lis no circuit closed through the right hand solenoid because the wiper plate 48 is out of engagement with the conducting plate and also because the conducting plate is out of engagen'ient with the conducting member 52, there is no work performed in closing the valve 27, 28 by the right hand solenoid. rI'he rotative inovement of the gear 23, however, will raise the right hand raclr bar 85 which, in turn, draws with it the shaft 3l. and plunger 34 of such right hand solenoid so that. therefore, under these circumstances, the. moving element of the right hand solenoid lifted as a dead weight by the left hand solenoid. rlhe upward movement of the moving elements of the right hand solenoid brings the wiping plate 48 into engagement with the conducting plate 40 in the same relative position the wiper plate 49 had occupied with respect to the conducting plate 4l. Due to the shutting olf of the flow of gas, it is assumed that the heat given ott by the heat-ing element to which this device may be attached is lessened to such a degree as to cause the temperature of the room or space in which the thernostat 53 is located to cause the thermostat t'o move the eontact member 52 to the right, as viewed in Fig. l, and when such temperature has lowered enough, it brings the element 52 into engagement with the conducting member 50. The reverse operation from that described now takes place and this cycle of operations may be continued indefinitely.

lt will be observed that the valve 27, 28 is located on one face of the standard l0 and is only indirectly connected with the operating solenoids. There is, therefore, no danger of escaping Huid or gas coming into engagement with the operating mechanism in such a manner as to be ignited by any arc between the members 48, 40, 49, 41, or 50, 5l, and 52.

Vilhile I have necessarily shown and described the preferred embodiment of my in- `,'ention somewhat. in detail, it is to be understood that may vary the size, shape, and arrangement of parts wit-hin wide limits without departing from the spirit of the inrcntion.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new is:

In an electron'iagnet-ically operated Valve structure, the combination of a valve, including a rotatably mounted Valve stem, a pinion secured to one end thereof, a ro tatably mounted gear associated with said pinion, a pair of solenoids, a plunger armature for each solenoid, a rack bar connected to one end of each plunger armature, said rack bars meshing with said gear on opposite sides thereof, independent controlling circuits for each of said solenoids, a thermostat associated with said solcnoids lcontrolling a break point in each of the independent circuits, a switch in each of said controllingV circuits, and a switch arm for each of said switches and mounted on therack bars, the thermostat controlling the operation ofthe controlling circuits alternately.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EUGENE T. VINCENT. 

